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What is Burns Night? A Guide to Scotland’s Famous Celebration

Burns Night is a popular Scottish festival celebrated for over 200 years. The tradition is related to their national poet Robert Burns on his birthday. Similarly, many Scottish celebrations occur yearly, affiliated with personalities like St. Andrew Day, Christmas Event, etc. In this blog post, we will talk about Burns Night, Robert Burns, and event celebrations. So, without further delay, let’s start with Burns Night. 

Burns Night and Its History

Scotland is home to over 200 festivals yearly including Burns Night, also known as Burns Supper. The event takes place on 25th January every year, which is the birthday of Robert Burns, the national poet of Scotland.

The commemoration of the event started in 1801, just after the five years of Rober Burns’ death. Nine of his very close friends decided to organize a supper to remember the Scottish National poet and mark his fifth anniversary. His friends had already planned the event to be held next year, and that’s how this event took place.

Today’s event is celebrated with great respect to admire the doings of Rober Burns, who struggled a lot to secure Scottish traditions with his wide knowledge and poets. The event is considered the simplest celebration. Let us talk a little about Robert Burns, and then we will discuss the celebrations of this day.

Who is Robert Burns?

Who is Robert Burns
Who is Robert Burns

Robert Burns is now known as the National Poet of Scotland, but the initial phase of his life was not famous as a poet. He opened his eyes in 1759 and got his initial education from his father when he used to work on his farms. At 15, his first poetry became known to the public. Holding the hand of poetry, he advocated for his country and nation.

In his poems, Robert Burns wrote about Scottish landscapes, folklore, traditions, and identities. The Dress Act occurred in his era when Scots were restricted to wearing other clothes instead of their tartan and kilts. Though the act did not impact Robert Burns, he wrote and struggled for the restoration of Scottish traditional attire. In short, people in this era admire his struggles and celebrate his day passionately to thank him. Here are some celebrations.

Celebrations of Burns Night

celebrations-of-burns-night
Celebrations of Burns Night

When it comes to the celebrations of Burn Night, there are not too many but a short and simple list. The first celebration of this event involved the Burn Supper, which is still a common practice today. Similarly, dancing events, reciting poetry, wearing cultural attire, and singing traditional songs are common. Let us have an overview of these celebrations.

Burn Supper

As the first observation of this event, making Burn Suppers is still very common today. Different meals, including whisky, are served to others. Here is the list of Scottish Burn Supper parts:

  1. Haggis, neeps, and tatties.
  2. Cullen skink.
  3. Potted smoked salmon.
  4. Venison carpaccio with pickled red cabbage.
  5. Oyster and scallop tartare.
  6. Smoked haddock and chive fishcakes.
  7. Haggis with Swede.
  8. Venison wellington.

Ceilidh

ceilidh
ceilidh

No Scottish celebrations are complete without Ceilidh. It is a traditional Scottish or Irish social gathering that involves dancing, music, and sometimes food and drink. People usually gather at these events wearing their tartan kilts to admire their culture and a person who played a role to let the people know about it. 

Poetry

How can a day affiliated with a poet be spent without his poetry? At Burns Night, the poetry of Robert Burns is red and played at almost every home. Reciting poetry is a central part of Burns Night celebrations because it honors the work of Robert Burns and celebrates his legacy in Scottish literature. Some popular poems are:

  • To a Mouse
  • Halloween
  • Address to Haggis
  • A Red, Red Rose
  • Tam O Shanter
  • The Battle of Sherramuir
  • To a Mountain Daisy

Singing

Every Scottish person must be aware of the famous song “Auld Lang Syne,” which is played at every Scottish festival. Robert Burns wrote it. This song is common at every event, but it is heard the most at Burns Night. This song and many other songs written by him or others dedicated to him are sung throughout the night to admire him. 

Conclusion

Burns Night, a traditional festival in Scotland, is quite popular among them. The Scots are the people who love to admire them and who have done good with them, whether Scottish or outsiders. This event belongs to Robert Burns, their national poet, so how can they not prefer it? They celebrate this historical day by arranging Burn Supper, singing songs dedicated to or written by him, and wearing traditional attire promoted by the poet.

Eric Dustin

Eric Dustin is a passionate writer specializing in Scottish fashion and heritage. With a keen interest in traditional attire like kilts, tartans, and Highland wear. Bridges the gap between timeless traditions and contemporary trends. Also have interest in exploring Scottish Highlands and research clan histories.
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